No, the Case is Happily Resolved (Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977) – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1973
Director: Vittorio Salerno
Writers: Augusto Finocchi, Vittorio Salerno
Cast: Enzo Cerusico, Enrico Maria Salerno, Riccardo Cucciolla, Martine Brochard, Umberto Raho

Release Date: June 21st, 2021 (UK), June 22nd, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £59.99 (UK), $99.95 (USA)

"an innocent man finds himself under suspicion for a savage crime committed by a highly respected member of society." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The HD master was created and supplied by Intramovies. Additional color grading was completed by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London."

No, the Case is Happily Resolved comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.1 GB

Feature Arrow: 27.8 GB

Feature Camera Obscura: 31.7 GB

For this release Arrow Video uses the same master used for Camera Obscura’s Blu-ray. That source is in excellent shape and Arrow Video’s encoding looks solid.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. This audio track is on par with the Italian language track that Camera Obscura used for their Blu-ray release.

Extras:

Extras for No, the Case is Happily Resolved include reversible cover art that is a collage of images from Years of Lead box set, a poster gallery, a trailer for No, the Case is Happily Resolved (3 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with English subtitles), alternate original downbeat ending (4 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono Italian with English subtitles), an archival interview with director/screenwriter Vittorio Salerno titled Mother Justice (40 minutes 36 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with English subtitles) and a visual essay by Will Webb titled Poliziotteschi: Violence and Justice in the Years of Lead (20 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

No, the Case is Happily Resolved is part of Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 a box set released by Arrow Video. The other films in this box set are Savage Three, Like Rabid Dogs, Colt 38 Special Squad and Highway Racer. This box set comes with a sixty-page booklet that comes with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Don’t Trust The Man: No, the Case is Happily Resolved and Italian Genre Cinema Written by Troy Howarth, an essay titled Animal Instinct: Savage Three and the Ideology of Violence written by Michael Mackenzie, an essay titled Fighting Fire with a Colt 38: Law and Order in Colt 38 Special Squad written by Rachael Nisbet, an essay titled Like Rabid Dogs: Class, Privilege, and Sadeian Women written by Kat Ellinger, an essay titled The Car’s the Star: Highway Racer, Tribute Elegy and a Whole Lot of Burning Rubber written by James Oliver and information about the transfers.

Extras from Camera Obscura’s Blu-ray release not carried over for Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release include an alternate happy ending (3 minutes 15, in Italian and German with English and German subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians Marcus Stiglegger and Kai Naumann (in German with English subtitles) and a twelve-page booklet with an essay titled The World is Upside Down! written by Christian KeBler. This essay is presented in dual text, English and German.

Summary:

The premise has a Hitchcock written all over it. The wrong man gets accused of a crime he does not commit and now it is up to him to prove his innocence. To further complicate matters the real killer is not content with just point the finger at the protagonist and as the narrative progresses the killer does everything in the power to make sure the evidence never incriminates them.

The film’s opening goes for the jugular as the killer stalks their victim through the reeds and nearby is the protagonist listening to a soccer game with his headphones, while fishing. Also, the way Vittorio Salerno films and cuts this sequence enhances the brutality. The moment when the killer and the protagonist finally come face to face. They do not speak, instead they look at the aftermath caused by the murder. From there the killer and the protagonist each go their own separate way. At first the protagonist makes attempts to get law enforcement involved, but due to circumstances he never follows through. This then allows the more proactive killer to pin the crime on an innocent man.

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved was made during a time when Gialli had already started to wane in popularity and a new genre Poliziotteschi was primed to takes its place. Content wise, though there are elements of both of these genres which can be found in this film. With the latter genre being the one that this film draws more from. And since the killers’ identity is revealed in the opening moments of the film. This film becomes less about whodunit and more about apprehending the killer.

From a production stand point there is not an area where this film does not excel. The tension filled narrative is meticulously constructed and filled with subtext including social commentary about classism. Also the characters are well-defined and their motivations are never in doubt. And when it comes to pacing things are move along briskly from revelation to the next. Another area where this film does not disappoint are its stylish visuals which do a superb job reinforcing the mounting tension.

Performance wise the entire cast all good in their respective roles. With this film’s standout performance coming Enzo Cerusico (The Dead Are Alive) in the role of the film’s protagonist Fabio Santamaria. He delivers an utterly convincing performance of man driven to paranoia. Other notable performances include, Enrico Maria Salerno (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in the role of reporter named don Peppino and Riccardo Cucciolla (Rabid Dogs) in the role of a school teacher named Eduardo Ranieri. Ultimately No, the Case Is Happily Resolved is an extraordinary thriller that has languished in obscurity for far too long.

Though four of the five films included as part of Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973–1977 have already had solid English friendly Blu-ray releases. This collection from Arrow Video is a solid release that gives anyone who missed out of Camera Obscura’s releases a chance to get them in a very affordable collection, highly recommended.

Note: The top screenshots are Arrow Video and the bottom screenshots are Camera Obscura.
 

Written by Michael Den Boer